Construction work on a replacement Dumfries High School could start in 2024.
Education councillors have been told that the £74 million project could get under way in the second quarter of the year.
The development forms part of phase two of the Dumfries Learning Town scheme.
Late last year members endorsed the recommendation from the options appraisal and the decision of the project board which identified Hub SouthWest as “the recommended procurement route”.
The provisional timeline for the building of the new school gives an estimated conclusion date at the end of 2025.
In a report for next week’s education committee it states that the DLT2 Project Board recognises that this is “a challenging timeline”.
The completion period is required by Scottish Government as a condition of funding for the development.
The existing school demolition is scheduled to take place during the first half of 2026.
The report to councillors adds: “As the programme timeline matures, updates will be brought to this committee and shared with the school community and stakeholders.”
Phase two of the Learning Town project also includes provision for a refurbishment of Dumfries Academy and the relocation of Loreburn Primary into the Minerva building on the academy site.
Both schemes are being funded through the council’s Capital Investment Strategy as the Scottish Government rejected the bid for financial support for them.
Parents of pupils attending Loreburn Primary last week voiced fears over the safety of the ageing building.
They described it as “a danger zone” and claimed that teachers had suffered electric shocks from faulty wiring, a ceiling had collapsed and that the kitchen had been closed due to an invasion of rats.
In its response the council said the suggestion of electrical problems had been investigated and no faults had been found. Pest control had humanely dispatched a rodent and, while confident the issue had been dealt with, it would continue to monitor the situation. With regard to the ceiling a temporary repair had been carried out and the clerk of works had been on site to action a permanent repair.
